A former soldier who was thrown out of the Army for being gay almost 45 years ago is still fighting for justice whilst rebuilding her life with the…
A former soldier who was thrown out of the Army for being gay almost 45 years ago is still fighting for justice whilst rebuilding her life with the support of her twin sister.
Throughout it all, her twin sister Jo has been by her side. Thanks to their special bond, and support from military charities including Help for Heroes, Jean, now 67, is beginning to find a sense of peace. “The impact of being discharged for being gay was massive. I had so much shame and self-hatred, and I felt worthless. I felt totally lost. It destroyed our lives.“I joined up very young, I was still in my teens and I didn’t know my sexuality then. I know others were the same. I discovered my sexuality as I was serving.
She has had support from Help for Heroes and Fighting With Pride, which are campaigning for the government to urgently offer a fair compensation deal for veterans who were wrongfully dismissed because of their sexuality.Having been Jean’s main source of support over the years, her twin sister Jo has recently started to receive counselling from Help for Heroes’ mental health service for the toll it has taken on her also.
Jean added: “I can’t turn the clock back, but now I can look forward, and that’s what I want to do. I’m in the twilight of my life, but I’ve got hope back.”We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
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